Youth Sports Psychology Session to be held at 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championships

Free session focuses on creating best environment for young players to succeed

Two sessions available to parents, coaches and team managers of Under-13 teams

FRISCO, Texas (July 16, 2013) — US Youth Soccer is proud to announce it will be hosting a free, innovative youth sports psychology education session for adults associated with the Under-13 age group, added this year, at the 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard.

The pair of hour-long sessions — which will be hosted by well-regarded Mayo Clinic sports psychologist Max Trenerry and is open to parents, coaches, team managers and administrators — will be held at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, July 22 in the Leatherwood 3 Room of Sheraton Overland Park Hotel, in Overland Park, Kan.

In youth sports, and especially in the younger age groups, adults have a direct emotional influence on the players who are playing the game. This session will help educate adults on what it takes to keep a fun sports environment and improve motivation for the players while alleviating the anxiety and stress that can come with high-level competition. The ultimate goal of the meeting is to increase the understanding of how to allow kids to have fun and play their best while at the National Championships and beyond.

Dr. Trenerry will guide the session by looking at several components of youth sports and how adults can approach them to benefit the child. These areas include beliefs, components of motivation, cheering, dealing with disappointment and more.

Trenerry is a licensed psychologist, specialist in diagnostic clinical neuropsychology and Associate Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He is a sport psychology consultant for US Youth Soccer Region II and lectures for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He has provided sport psychology consultation for his local club, Rochester Youth Soccer Association, and has worked with athletes in youth leagues, the Olympic Development Program, College and Junior College soccer players, and soccer players in the Professional Development League.

In soccer, Trenerry holds the U.S. Soccer Federation ‘C’ License, NSCAA National Diploma, NSCAA Regional Goalkeeping Diploma, and the English Football Association’s Psychology for Football Diplomas, Levels 3, 4, and 5. He has served as a board member and president of his local club, Rochester Youth Soccer Association (MN). He served on the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association’s Education Committee and provided presentations for parents and coaches through the Notre Dame/Minnesota Youth Soccer’s Parents and Coaches Together (PACT) program, and provided workshops for college-bound soccer players. In 2009, he was selected as MYSA’s Boys Competitive Coach of the Year.

The adult education sessions are scheduled to occur before and after the Player Luncheon, which kicks off the 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championships. The Under-13 boys and girls age group was added to the National Championships this year and will feature four regional champions in each age group.

Each summer, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series crowns the boys and girls national champion in seven age groups (Under-13 through Under-19). The finals are a culmination of a year-long series of competitions at the state and regional levels which provides approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams from 55 US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation.